And The Darkness Could Not Comprehend It

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1517, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Constantine, Genesis 1, good vs evil, John 1, Light overcoming darkness, Martin Luther, Mithras, Pontifex Maximus, Reformation Day, samhain, syncratism, Wittenberg castle

Something not often thought of happened on October 31st, something that has nothing to do with costumes, candy, or carving pumpkins; something that impacted the world; something that paved the way for the founding of America. Indeed, it is so pivotal that if it had not happened, America would not have happened. On October 31^st of 1517, the high holy day of Samhain (Satan) lord of death –the holiday now called Halloween– 34-year-old Martin Luther pounded 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Castle church in Germany. Indeed that was the nail and hammer not only heard round the world but one that shook the powers of darkness. But the battle did not begin here, and the battle did not end there either.

The Battle’s Beginning in Genesis 1: Let There Be Light

The battle’s beginning is conveyed in the very first verses of the first chapter of the Bible. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

“The earth was without form and void”, this statement of Genesis 1 carries more weight than most people think, for those words “without form” and “void” equal something far more sinister than at first comprehended at a cursory glance, or even a second and third reading. It is difficult for us in the English language to grasp the enormity associated with these words, but they represent “chaos, confusion, and disorder,” and have to do with destruction that follows God’s judgment. And there was darkness on the face of the deep. The darkness spoken of here is a darkness that could be felt, and the “waters of the deep” is reference to an abyss of a surging mass of agitated waters of fathomless depth. In other words, this was not a serene scene of still waters and a gentle earth waiting to be formed. No… Genesis 1 presents to us a scene of tumult, judgment and chaos and the darkness that covered all with its barbarous, suffocating tentacles. This is the realm into which God’s Spirit entered, hovered as an eagle over her young, gently moving upon the face of the tumultuous deep.

And then it happened, that which shook the world and shattered the tangible darkness sending tremors into the very void…Genesis 1:3 states, “then God said, “Let light be!” How incredible those words are, and how much more incredible is the God who spoke them, commanding light to shine forth into a chaotic world filled with ruinous confusion, covered with turbulent waters and blinding darkness. But, at His word, Light overwhelmed and overcame the darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend what had happened.

John 1: And the Darkness Could Not Comprehend It

Even so, in John 1, the darkness of ignorance and blindness and hopelessness covered a world overwhelmed by sin and depravity wherein religion held captive the helpless masses. For, into the world stepped the most extraordinary being ever to walk the earth. Though He was clothed in humanity and humility, He was the very Word of God entering this darkened world and with that entrance saying loud and clear with all authority and power, “I Am the Light of the world!” And the proud, puffed up darkness could not grasp what had happened, nor could it overcome, nor could it seize by force the Word and the Light of the Living Creator God. For the very “I AM” had entered the world, and it could not silence Him. It could not cover Him. It could not hide Him. It could not shake Him. It could not defeat Him!

Persecution: Like Gasoline on a Flame

Time after time, that same darkness has fought to overcome that Light, that Word of God. From the very birth of the Church, it has sought to silence the Gospel of Life and Light, mainly through persecution and fear. Upwards to 2 million martyrs have spilled their blood for Christ, as Roman emperors burned the Scriptures, crucified Christians, burned them alive, tortured them, ruined their businesses, and drove them into the catacombs. But, the Gospel was not defeated. The more pressure the darkness placed upon the Body of Christ, the more the Gospel spread. In the words of early church Christian writer and apologist Tertullian of Carthage, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Truly, persecution was like gasoline to the flame of Christianity.

Temporary Peace and Infiltration: the Dimming of the Light

Then, as the Roman empire began to disintegrate from within and without, an eerie lull descended on the Church bringing at first a needed respite from the fangs of ravenous persecution. Constantine was the Roman emperor who observed the disintegration of his empire with great interest. He was the high priest of the Mithras religion (the worship of Apollo the sun god), but he found in Christianity a common bond. For the stories of the sun god Mithras and the Son of God Jesus Christ seemed in his mind, to mesh. It is even said that before marching into battle one day, this emperor while worshiping the sun, saw a vision of the cross and was told by a voice that in this sign he was to conquer. Upon returning from great victory in battle, he realized that all religions must have freedom, and that all religions must find common ground. The Edict of Milan was issued in the year 313, as a joint venture of the Roman emperors of the West and the East. Through this edict it became illegal to persecute Christians, and tolerance of all religions became the law of the land. Everyone was to get along. There was a common prayer that all could pray to the nameless deity all held in common and thus not offend. Syncretism (a blending together of different religions) was put into place as the order of day, worship on Sundays for Christians and the celebration of Christmas was protected, which also meant protection for those of the Mithras religion who also worshiped their sun god (Apollo) on Sundays and celebrated Christmas. Everyone was free to practice their own religion, but the Emperor was to be Pontifex Maximus (the high priest—literally meaning the “greatest bridge maker” –of them all. Though this temporary amity gave the Church a brief break from outside persecution and allowed for the Nicene Creed (of A.D. 325) and the Canon of the Bible to be compiled, the pulsating darkness of paganism and syncretism began to spread its tentacles within the Church. Christians became comfortable in their new found peace. This led to the Gospel being proclaimed less, until eventually the Word of God was withheld from the common people. Thus, the Dark Ages descended upon the Church.

The Flickering Lights of the Dark Ages

Fear of death dominated people’s minds. Owning a Bible was against the law; relics (even bones stolen from graves that the Roman church claimed were of Stephen or Peter or Paul) were superstitiously bought and venerated; the Pope was seen as Christ (The Vicar of Christ – from the Latin Vicarious meaning “substitute”) on earth and his word was infallible; salvation was through works and the buying of indulgences. They were taught by the Roman Church that they would eventually, upon death, go to purgatory (a place where sinners must be purged of their sins before going on to heaven), but if they bought indulgences they could cut their time there short and also free other loved ones from that horrific place. Perilous pilgrimages were made to Rome where they would pay to kiss statues, kneel on hundreds of steps while praying in a certain fashion, etc. in order to obtain indulgences that would shorten their time in purgatory. “For hundreds of years (approximately 500-1600 A.D.) through the Roman Catholic Church, the insatiable appetite of evil had taken hold of the people. Though little groups here and individuals there had sought the truth of Scripture, they were mercilessly persecuted and martyred by those who wanted to keep them in tangible darkness. People like John Huss, John Wycliffe and Jerome Savonarola spoke out against the immorality and unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic church, and because of this they and others like them (thousands upon thousands) were pressured unsuccessfully to recant and then without trial” martyred for their faith (quote from “Let Us Not Forget” listed below).

1517: The Light That Pierced the Darkness

By the year 1517, over 1500 years of darkness had suffocated the multitudes with superstition, papal power and frightening visions of purgatory. According to various sources, during that time period between 50 million and 150 million Christians were martyred for their faith, even for simply owning or reading a Bible in their own language.

Then, 504 years ago on October 31^st of 1517, in the midst of colorful leaves and the crisp, cool autumn air, 34-year-old Martin Luther placed his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle church in Germany. The pounding of the hammer to the nail echoed throughout the land of Germany, rattled the foundations of the Pope’s Roman residence, shook the powers of darkness, and its sparks sent the demons squealing with terror. Indeed, it was the hammer heard round the world! For not only did Luther dare to nail his 95 debate questions to the door, but they knew that that the Johaness Gutenburg printing press of 1440 that had at one time printed thousands upon thousands of indulgences now would print the Word of God in the language of the people.

A copy of Luther’s New Testament translated from Greek into the German language of the people “was released September 21, 1522…”. “In two months, no less than five thousand copies were sold. In twelve years, nearly a quarter of a million New Testaments were distributed amongst the German people”. Finally, in 1534, the whole of the Bible had been translated by Luther into the German language. And the light spread as the truth of the Gospel was preached in France, Holland, England and beyond. Soon the Bible was translated into other languages of the people, so that, as John Wycliffe had desired (also known as “the morning star of the reformation”), every plow boy could read the Word.

The endless night of the Dark Ages ruled by Popes and Bishops, superstition and mysticism was pierced by the blinding, enduring light of God, as Martin Luther nailed the theses to the chapel door and then as he translated and printed the words of Scripture into the German language. Indeed, in the words of Isaiah 9:2, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” And the people in Germany had and did see that great light. A people who had never owned a printed work in their lives nor the lives of their parents nor grandparents nor great grandparents now embraced a copy of the Word of God. Though for hundreds of years the insidious midnight desperately attempted to suppress the truth, to keep the Bible from the people, to steal, kill and destroy all hope of salvation, and to snuff out the last embers of light, the Light of the World still could not be comprehended nor overcome.

503 years ago, a young man named Martin Luther risked his life to ask questions that needed to be asked, and though he honored the Roman Catholic Church he dared to question the unScriptural behavior of its leadership. Though he knew the flesh and blood that stood against him and sought to kill him, he also was more than aware that he wrestled not against that flesh and blood, “but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). One of several hymns he wrote reveals this spiritual warfare reality in the life of Martin Luther, entitled, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” (lyrics below)

Final Encouragement:

Because of Martin Luther and a multitude of others who unashamedly declared the truth, because of the handful who translated the Scripture at the risk of their lives and those of their families’, and because of the millions who chose to die for Jesus, one day in 1620 Christian Pilgrims crossed the turbulent Atlantic Ocean to form a nation founded on freedom of worship. Thus, today in America, Christians are free to read a Bible in their own language and can freely partake of Communion in remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins. This is the incredible testimony of the great impact the Reformation has had on the world. Without the Reformation there would have been no Pilgrims, no Puritans, and thus no America as we know it today.

I encourage us all to not take for granted what Christ has done for us nor take for granted our religious liberty. 503 years after Martin Luther, our enemy is still at work, and another Dark Ages has descended upon this nation and the western church. Since the foundation of the world until now, the darkness still hates the light.

Let us therefore, today on October 31st, celebrate Reformation Day. Let us celebrate Martin Luther and others who shined in the darkness, and celebrate the light of Jesus that cannot be overcome. Let us celebrate this holiday of light, and not Halloween the holiday of darkness. Let us celebrate this holiday of eternal life, and not Halloween the holiday of death and human sacrifice. Let us not compromise like the Church of Constantine’s day, but instead stand firm like Martin Luther. Let us not be mesmerized by candy-coated Satanism, after all, Halloween really is the devil’s holiday. God is about to judge America for defiant compromise. Let’s not be a part of that! (For an excellent source on Halloween, please check out this article by Good Fight Ministries, “A Christian Response to Halloween,” https://www.goodfight.org/articles/cults-occult/christian-response-halloween/?fbclid=IwAR1mnhYxev1YTAdMpndr21-yVF-RwfUipjdWk-YkocqEQMBjjJ5LQc4fs5U).

Furthermore, let us also keep in mind those such as John Wycliffe, Jerome Savonarola, and John Huss who uncompromisingly laid down their lives, and men like Martin Luther who risked it all so that we today could have the Bible in our own language and worship God freely. Let us remember other Christians throughout the ages who have lived and died as children of light in the midst of grave darkness. I want to encourage my fellow Christians to remember that we too are children of the Light, that we are of the day, that our greatest offensive combat weapon is the sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God, that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. As Philippians 2:15-16 says, “Let us truly be “the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life.”

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, by Martin Luther in 1529

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper He amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the Right Man on our side,
the Man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who That may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His name,
from age to age the same,
and He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
His kingdom is forever.

Sources:

The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old Testament, pgs. 121 #922 bohu and 1214 #8414 tohu, and #7363 rachaph.

Strong’s, #8415 tehom and root word #1949 huwm

http://www3.dbu.edu/mitchell/anceint_christian_martyrdom.htm

“Numbers and Necessities,” http://webwitness.org.au/estimates.html

“The Trail of Blood,” article by J. M. Carroll, http://www.fbinstitute.com/trail/lect6.htm.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/pontifex

The Council of Nicea and the Doctrine of the Trinity

https://probe.org/the-council-of-nicea/embed/#?secret=ZpptX5PIYb

http://justforcatholics.org/a198.htm

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/vicar

https://www.christian-history.org/indulgences.html

“Let Us Not Forget,” https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2016/10/27/let-us-not-forget/

https://www.christian-history.org/martin-luther-bible.html

Captive to the Word: Martin Luther, Doctor of Sacred Scripture, by A. Skevington Wood, chapter “Luther as a Translator,” pg 102, https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/asw/captive/captive-to-the-word_09.pdf

For an excellent source on Halloween, please check out this article by Good Fight Ministries, “A Christian Response to Halloween,” https://www.goodfight.org/articles/cults-occult/christian-response-halloween/?fbclid=IwAR1mnhYxev1YTAdMpndr21-yVF-RwfUipjdWk-YkocqEQMBjjJ5LQc4fs5U

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Halloween: To Celebrate or Not to Celebrate

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can a christian celebrate halloween, Christians and Halloween, doug riggs, ex-satanist John Ramirez, history of halloween, holy to the lord, Jeremiah 23, Jeremiah 7, John Ankerberg on halloween, John Ramirez, John Ramirez on Halloween, new covenant, occultism in america, royal priesthood, russ dizdar, Spiritual Warfare, steve hemphill, who we are in christ

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We are swiftly approaching the end of October, and with that end comes Halloween. It is said to be the most popular holiday besides Christmas. It seems that everyone is Halloween crazy, even those at the care center where I used to work as chaplain. Each nurses’ station would decorate with a particular theme, and all the nurses, nurses assistants, social workers, administrator, CEO, etc would dress up according to the theme of their wing. The chaplain previous to me even participated by dressing up, and I was pursued to celebrate it as well because they wanted EVERYONE to take part in the festivities. I was even approached by another influential Christian to see if there was a way to get me to join in the fun – like if it were a Biblical costume theme.

This leads me to the question and point of this article. May a Christian participate in the colorful and festive holiday of Halloween? In order to answer this question we must examine the holiday’s brief history and more importantly, we must open our hearts to what God says in His timeless and always applicable word (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The History of Halloween

To begin with, Halloween has never even slightly been Christian. It can be been traced back to the time of the Druids, even as far back as Julius Caesar. It was a night of fear, human sacrifice and other rituals, and was all about death and the worship of the Lord of Death, whom some have called Samhain. It was believed that this was the night when the spirits of the dead roamed about freely, and in order to remain protected, people would disguise themselves in costumes. “They lit candles or lanterns to keep the spirits away, and if they had to go outside, they wore costumes and masks to frighten the spirits or to keep from being recognized by these unearthly beings.” (The Holiday Handbook, by Carol Barkin and Elizabeth James, pg 41). According to John Ankerberg and John Weldon in their booklet “The Facts on Halloween,” pg 6, “Druid worshipers of his attempted to placate and appease the Lord of Death because of his power over the souls of the dead . . . For those who had died during the proceeding 12 months, Samhain allowed their spirits to return to earth to their former places of habitation for a few hours to associate once again with their families.” If one did not provide food (“treats”) for these spirits, then one could expect some horrible repercussions (“tricks”). Thus, people fearing the evil that the spirits might do, always provided some delectable feast for the spirits who they believed would be passing by. Furthermore, this time of year was considered the start of a new year, and so many sought to have their fortunes told and/or divined. Bobbing for apples became a way to divine whom one would marry, while the entrails of animals or humans could predict the future in other ways.

Not only was this type of holiday celebrated among the Celts and Druids (the priestly class), but a night of the dead was also celebrated among the Hindus called Holi (in March) and in Mexico, Latin America and Spain the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) on November 2^nd also referred to as “All Saints Day” because of the Catholic influence. Guy Fawkes Day also known as Bonfire night (or “bone fire”) is celebrated on November 5th in England. (https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/halloween-around-the-world). And in China and Malaysia there is what is called the Hungry Ghost Festival which is celebrated in July/August (https://www.rd.com/list/halloween-celebrated-around-world/; https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2616/history-of-the-chinese-hungry-ghost-festival/). And then there are the drug lords of Mexico who serve the goddess of death, Santa Muerta (meaning “holy death”) and honor her with barbaric bloodshed and ritualistic killings (https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/santa-muerte-inspired-and-ritualistic-killings; https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2005/santa-muerte.htm). That aside, America’s modern Halloween can trace its roots back to the Celts worship of the Samhain, Lord of the Dead.

Of course the Halloween that many have grown up with or see their grandchildren celebrating is not the bloody, divining, fear-filled, death-obsessed holiday that the Druids celebrated, for it has been marketed as a harmless fun-filled night replete with games, candy and sparkly costumes galore. And Christians, desiring to do something good that also appeases their candy-hungry children, have contributed to this holiday through church sponsored holiday festivals, trunk-or-treating events, and other palatable options that they explain are community outreaches for the sake of the gospel. In so doing, some Christians even go so far as to believe that they have redeemed the holiday of Halloween.

Who We Are In Christ

But, is this what we are to do as Christians?

Ephesians 5 states, “8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light…15See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16redeeming the time, because the days are evil.17Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

You see, Jesus’ shed blood and resurrection power even now at work in us made us new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17), the old has passed away and all has become new. And as new creations we were called from darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). And thus as children of light, who are dressed in armor of light (Romans 13:12), called the light of the world by Jesus Himself (Matthew 5:14-16), we are to be imitators of God by exposing the darkness (Ephesians 5).

A Covenant People: Under the Blood

In Matthew 26:28 Jesus states that His blood is the blood of a New Covenant, for without blood there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). This New Covenant was predicted in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and explained in Hebrews 8. Thus, believers in Christ are under a blood covenant, and have been cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

A Consecrated People; A Consecrated Priesthood: Holy to the Lord

But, there is more to Christianity than just us being cleansed by His blood. We have been cleansed for service. We have been anointed for service. We have been set apart for service. We have come”4…to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…9But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10)

In Leviticus 8, Aaron and his sons were dedicated to the priesthood by bathing in water, being anointed with oil, and sprinkled with blood. They wore a tunic, a sash, a robe, an intricately woven band that secured the ephod, and a breastplate with the Urim and Thummim, a turbin and a holy crown engraved with the words, “Holy to the Lord.”

Even so, Christians have been baptized in water (Matthew 28:19), anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20, 27), cleansed by the blood of the lamb (Hebrews 9:22), clad in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), and called to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).

Indeed, Christians are a royal and holy priesthood of light, set apart by God under the New Covenant in Christ’s blood for the service of offering up spiritual sacrifices to God. We are holy and set apart and not to “14…be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

Christians are the Temple and we are the priests under the New Covenant in Christ’s holy blood, set apart to offer spiritual sacrifices as children of light.

Jeremiah’s Day

In Jeremiah 7 we read a deeply troubling account wherein the covenant people of Judah, God’s holy and dearly loved people, had forgotten who they were and who there God was.

What was happening?

“17Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. 19Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the Lord. “Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?”20Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place—on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched”…this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ 24Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.” (Jeremiah 7:17-20)

And Jeremiah 23 goes on to say that, “11“…both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the Lord.”

What’s the big deal? What’s wrong with families gathering wood and kindling fires and baking yummy cakes? It sounds so innocent. But it was not merely about doing family things together or warm and fuzzy things. Rather, it was all about the worship of the Queen of Heaven.

The big deal is this, God told them not to do so. That might sound too simple to some, even unfair to others. Like, come on, who doesn’t like cake?! But, the people had agreed with God’s covenant when they signed on and His blood of the covenant was sprinkled upon them (Exodus 24:8). In other words, not only was the priesthood sprinkled with blood (Leviticus 8), but all the people were sprinkled first of all with the blood of the covenant. Therefore, they agreed to walk in God’s ways and not their own nor the ways of the pagans around them.

“3According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. 4You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God…24‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. 26You shall therefore [d]keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27(for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.” (Leviticus 18:3-4, emphasis mine)

And…

“9“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. 13You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. 14For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-14, emphasis mine)

Plain and simply, what they were doing was adulterous idolatry.

Modern Day Paganism

The paganism of Egypt and Canaan have not passed away, but are still alive and well today. We may be a high tech, advanced society sporting computers, smart phones, and electric cars, but the demonic entities of the Bible days are still active in our modern society. They may not go by the same names, but that does not mean they are not here, and it does not mean that people are not still practicing the same paganism. Here are some of their more modern names that the western world has come to accept: Witchcraft, Satanism, Wicca, Occultism, Illuminati, Freemasonry, and Mormonism to name a few. And these are not as innocent as they may at first appear to some, for they are just as bloody, deceptive and as demonic as their ancestors in Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Rome and even the Celts of France/Great Britain/Ireland.

The West likes to think of itself as more sophisticated and advanced, but it is not. Even the world of the 1950s television show Leave it to Beaver was not as pristine as many nostalgically look back upon, for even then the seething power of Lucifer was at work among secret societies, cults and Occultism who were even then planning for the demise and conquering of the world (which is just now being realized). This is evidenced by demonically oppressed people Christians included, as recounted by author Steve Hemphill (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdDf7PRcKsA). This oppression can include nightly sleep paralysis, nightmares, depression, fear, anxiety, demonically charged objects from foreign countries, etc. Furthermore, it is evidenced by the countless Satanic, ritually abused masses and who have been and are being delivered in the name which is above every name, Jesus Christ. This is recounted by men such as the now deceased evangelist and spiritual warrior Russ Dizdar (his website which contains hours of spiritual warfare training materials https://www.shatterthedarkness.net/; one of his powerful messages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXXL4lgbWwc ) and the still living Pastor Doug Riggs (https://www.dougriggs.org/SRA-DID-Resources.html).

And these groups revel in Halloween because they know what it is really about: Lucifer the Lord of Death. Though not all of these groups participate in human sacrifice (such as Wicca), many of them do and will be doing so this Halloween. Not only this, but they will be saying curses and incantations over candy that “friendly” witches will hand out to eager children, even Christian children, who will then eat those candies and take that into themselves. They will demonically “charge” objects that they give to children and even the costumes that they make and then sell. To do so means that demons think that an object is theirs and will accompany it wherever it goes, even into a Christian home where it has been welcomed. Ex-Satanist John Ramirez warns Christians this very real danger of and true nature of Halloween (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q369iQJ49cY).

This happens more often than we like to think or admit. Don’t let cognitive dissonance fool you into thinking otherwise! (“The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. People tend to seek consistency in their attitudes and perceptions, so this conflict causes feelings of unease or discomfort.” https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-dissonance-2795012)

It has been a brilliant move on the part of Occultists to candy-coat Halloween, thus making it palatable to everyone as a fun, candy filled holiday celebrated with colorful costumes, bonfires, silly games, and amusing spookiness. But, this is the web of deception that has been and is being spun around those who do not have discernment and are not aware of the pulsating darkness ensnaring the world right now. For while everyone is having fun, dark curses are being spoken over those who participate, human sacrifices are being performed, and foul spirits are being welcomed into people’s homes.

Paganism is alive and well today, and its highest holy day (or shall I say unholy day) is the second most popular holiday in the west. This is the same as the paganism that God condemned and wiped out of Canaan. It is also the same paganism that infiltrated His people Judah and caused their judgment. It is the same unholy paganism of darkness that God calls His people out of, into covenant with Him as a holy people.

The Answer

What did God have to say to Israel about participating in pagan holidays in the Promise Land? Did He say, ‘clean them up and make them nice and kid friendly’? Did He say, ‘you may pretend to sacrifice your children just don’t really do it’? Did He say, ‘well, you want to blend in so go ahead and participate’? Did He say, ‘you don’t want your kids to feel left out of all the fun’? Did He say, ‘it’s alright as long as you keep it innocent and don’t do bloody sacrifices’? Or ‘it’s okay so long as you talk to the pagans about me’?

No. God instead says in Jeremiah 7:30, that the“…the children of Judah have done evil in My sight,” says the Lord. “They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it.” And, Jeremiah 10:21-22 states, “21For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,And have not sought the Lord; Therefore they shall not prosper, And all their flocks shall be scattered.22Behold, the noise of the report has come, And a great commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals.”

So, should a Christian who is a holy, set apart priest of God to participate in such an unholy, pagan holiday? No. Need I say more?

Conclusion

Jesus is coming back for a spotless Bride, cleansed by the washing of His word, a holy, royal priesthood, children of light who are exposing the darkness, a peculiar people. Let us not continue to compromise with the world nor be deceived by the devil’s tactics. We must be pure. We must be holy. For without holiness, we will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). And His holiness is exclusive. His holiness does not allow for participation in the works of darkness. His holiness does not engage in pagan holidays, no matter how colorful or sugary sweet or fun or traditional. Christians are to imitate God, not Lucifer.

Dear Christian, I pray that God opens your eyes to see the seriousness of this matter. May you see it the way that God sees it. The hour is late. Let us redeem the time for the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).

I conclude with God’s holy word. May it touch you deeply, and become indelibly imprinted upon the tablet of your heart. “12The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts,” (Romans 13:12-14). “13Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”” (1 Peter 1:13-16; Leviticus 11:44)

Jesus is coming SOON. Let’s be ready.

With Urgency,

Holy Light Ministries

Deception

Tags

1 John 4, 2 Timothy 3, being discerning, Bill Johnson, Deception in the Church, Depart from me I never knew you, Deuteronomy 13, Deuteronomy 18, Discernment, End Times, End Times Deception, False Prophets, General Mike Flynn's prayer at the Open Heaven's Conference, have we not prophesied in your name?, Hebrews 5, Joanie Stahl, Kim Clement, Last Days, Last Days Deception, Matthew 24, Matthew 7, Mike Flynn's prayer, Necromancy, prayer to Michael the Archangel, prophecy, prophets of God, Rick Joyner, testing the spirits, Tony and Holly Koretz, True Prophets

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Deception is rampant. Have you noticed? If you haven’t, then it is time to step back, take a moment, take a deep breath, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the discernment you need. The days are growing increasingly more dark and evil, and deception’s web is thicker and stronger now than ever before. The Bible warns us of this in 2 Timothy 3:13 where it says, “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” This means that maliciously wicked and miserable (4190) people and sorcerers who pretend to use the supernatural to attain money, prestige and power (1114) will in the future cut a path, advance, progress forward (4298) with more severity, leading astray (4105) and being led astray (4105).

Thus, in Matthew 24, the disciples asked Jesus “what is the sign of the end of the age?” Now you think He might respond with something like “earthquakes” or “war”, but Jesus did not respond with signs such as social injustice, political unrest or world hunger. Jesus’ response may have actually shocked His disciples, and the wording in the Greek definitely reflects the fact that He did intend to shake them up. Jesus’ immediate response was, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). And just as a reminder to us, Jesus was warning believers not unbelievers. That is chilling. Believers are to “take heed”, pay attention, stop and listen, for great deception is the biggest sign of the end of the age, and it is out to get Christians – It is out to get you!

The Warning

It goes on to say in Matthew 24, “5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.25 Behold, I have told you before.26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”

In Matthew 7, Jesus had already touched on the topic of false prophets, saying, “21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The Great Deluge of False Prophets

It may seem odd to discuss false prophets. After all, what have they to do with us? What have we to do with them? Are there really prophets still today? Is the gift still in operation? The long and the short of it is, Jesus warned us that at the end of the age – and we are there in the last of the Last Days – there would be false prophetic activity. Now there are some churches that believe that prophecy has ceased. But, according to Jesus in this passage, prophecy would not have ceased but would still be active at the very tail end of the age just before His return.

Prophecy Then & Now

And so, Matthew 24 states clearly, “11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” And many means just that. There will be a great number of false prophets just before Jesus comes back. Now, that is beyond alarming if you ask me! That’s downright scary!

Before we get into what false prophecy is unfolding today and how to handle it, let’s take a look at the Old Testament to see what God has to say about both godly prophets and false prophets. God never leaves His people in the dark. He always lets us know what He’s thinking and what’s on His heart. As Jesus said even in Matthew 24:25, “Behold I have told you before.” With God we don’t ever have to guess. All we have to do is read the Bible for what it says and take it seriously.

Numbers 11 gives us God’s heart about prophets and prophecy, “24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!”

And this very desire of God took place on the Day of Pentecost in the Upper Room as related to us in the New Testament book of Acts 2. “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy…”

The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 14 explains the important role of the prophetic in church services. We don’t often see this gift in operation in our western churches today, but this does not mean it is unimportant nor that it is not happening in churches elsewhere throughout the world. Actually, according to Paul, ““1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy…” God’s heart is that true, godly prophecy would be normative in the Church body, for according to I Corinthians 14:3, it builds the Church into a holy temple wherein a holy God might dwell, for God only dwells and is worshiped in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2; 96:9); it aligns us with God and His word, and it comforts our hearts with the open revelation of the mystery of the gospel.

In other words, in the Last Days, there will be a plethora of false prophets, but God will also be pouring out His Spirit in prophecy upon His people.

The Most Misunderstood

Though God’s heart is prophecy, for indeed, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). And He has promised that prophecy will be prolific in the last days, it is also the most misunderstood manifestation/gift of the Holy Spirit.

So, let’s take a look at this gift according to Scripture. To begin with, in the Greek it is composed of two words pro (4253) meaning “before, forth,” and phemi (5346) “to tell.” It’s definition is “to tell beforehand” and includes “the foretelling [of] future events or the exhorting, reproving and threatening of individuals or nations as the ambassador of God…hence the prophet spoke not his own thoughts but what he received from God…” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, pg 1244). Though there are some who view this gift as lacking in empathy, it is anything but that. Prophecy is God lovingly correcting His people through the voice of a prophet or prophecy, in order to steer His people away from their sin and back into covenant relationship with Him. First Corinthians 14:3 it states, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” It is edifying (3619) because it calls one back to God’s word and thus builds up and strengthens us in His truth; it is exhorting (3874) because it helps us grow up in the faith even through rebuking, correcting and instruction (2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Hebrews 12:5-11), and it is comforting (3889) for it is God speaking tenderly to us as a Father, and thus is done in love for our good and His glory.

Prophecy is a “direct message” of God to believers and sometimes unbelievers that is spoken “in God’s name.” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, pg 1244). The one prophesying is not speaking their own mind or heart, but rather, God’s words (Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 1; Jeremiah 1; Ezekiel 2). And as can be seen over and over again in the Old Testament, it is often a message of repentance.

Prophecy is not merely dutifully loving and studying the Bible, nor is it teaching the Bible, as some have attempted to define it, for God clearly calls that gift “teaching”. It is not merely exhortation, although it is exhortational, for God calls that specific gift exhortation. It is not pastoring nor the shepherding of the sheep, for God calls that specific gift pastoring. Rather prophecy is a Holy Spirit inspired utterance that often foretells an event and pierces the heart with conviction, as it says in Jeremiah 20:9, “9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” The inspired utterance of prophecy also calls the hearer of that word to holiness as it says in Isaiah 1:18, “16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” And furthermore, true, godly prophecy turns one back to perfect alignment with God’s word and gospel, for the “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). It calls one into account. It never contradicts Scripture. And though it is not always about future prognostication, when the prophecy actually does predict something, it always comes to pass, for the Holy Spirit is never wrong.

False vs. True: How Can We Tell?

So, how then can we tell if a prophet or prophecy is false or true? Sometimes it is quite obvious, but at other times, it is not so obvious.

First of all, there are always a host of false prophets up against a handful of true prophets. In I Kings 18 we see the prophet Elijah up against 450 prophets of the god Baal and 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah. First Kings 22 also relates a story associated with this this same dynamic.

Godly prophets though well-known will also nearly always be looked down upon as judgmental, narrow-minded, and negative, while false prophets will be popular and praised for their optimistic message of “peace, peace” though there is no peace and flattering things (Isaiah 30:10; 1 Thessalonians 5).

Deuteronomy 18 prophecies first of Jesus as “the Prophet” who will speak God’s words, and then ends with a message of warning about false prophets who “presume” to speak God’s word thus disrespectfully overstepping boundaries with insolent boldness and defiance. “18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

A Stern Warning

Deuteronomy 13 covers a more complex issue regarding false prophets, that of stealthy deception. “1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.” In other words, the false prophet gets their prognostication right but that same false prophet then teaches a doctrine contrary to God’s word. So, you have this dynamic of people in awe of a prediction proven true, and they more readily believe that person who made the prediction. Thus, their guard comes down, and they are more receptive to whatever that person may do or teach. However, God states that in this circumstance, He is actually testing His people to see if they know His word, if they believe His word, if they respect His word above any sign or wonder. God allows for that prophecy of the false prophet to come to pass in order to see whose heart is right before Him. This is powerful. This is challenging. This is a warning for those called by His name to be awake, alert, prayerful, sober, and vigilant. This message was important back then, but now in this day of mesmerizing deception, it is all the more prevalent. Deception was bad back then and caused the downfall of God’s nation, God’s people of Israel, but deception is on steroids now and has surpassed all generations before, and how much more it is causing the downfall of God’s people today.

In Matthew 7 Jesus says, “13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them…21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Modern Day Prophets and False Prophets

I must admit, I cannot name many genuine prophets. Although there are prophetic utterances mildly active in some churches such as Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart’s church Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, there are few actual prophets to list by name here. The one true prophet that I can think of right off the top of my head is David Wilkerson of Times Square Church and Teen Challenge.

However, the list of false prophets is growing so long it would prove difficult to list them all here. And by false, I mean according to the definition of Scripture as I related above. So, in short, it means that either their prognostications are not 100% accurate, and/or they are leading people astray into unbiblical doctrine and teaching.

According to the article on this website entitled “Thus Saith the Lord?”, “Kim Clement (now deceased), Mark Taylor, Pat Robertson, Lance Wallnau, Kat Kerr, Jeremiah Johnson, Andrew Wommack, Hank Kunneman, Pastors Paul and Denise Goulet, Kenneth Copeland, Curt Landry and Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj — and there are likely a host of others — all prophesied Trump’s win,” of him having “a second term. And many social media sites are rife with numerous people in shock over what is happening when they banked on what these prophets had said.” All of these, Kerr, Wallnau, Johnson, Wommack, Kunneman, Goulet, Landry, Selvaraj, Taylor, and Robertson were all wrong!!! (for more on this topic, please refer to this link: https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2021/01/22/thus-saith-the-lord/ ) And this is just one of the things that they have prophesied boldly, proudly, loudly, and very incorrectly.

And then there is Rick Joyner of Morning Star Ministries who declares himself to be a prophet and apostle. He in one breath sounds doctrinally sound and patriotically astute in the next breath says that he spoke with the Apostle Paul in heaven and in so doing advocates the unbiblical, Occult practice of necromancy (speaking with the dead). And if there were not enough, he appears to be more of a shaman with lying signs and wonders flourishing in his church. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T8W7rbzLAo

And then there is Bill Johnson of Bethel Church Redding, California who believes that Jesus had to be born again while advocating Ouija Boards renamed Angel Boards, Tarot Cards renamed Destiny Cards, Fire Tunnels and other demonic manifestations in his widely popular church. And then there is the book that both Bill and his wife contributed chapters to entitled Physics of Heaven which is beyond boldly New Age. “A clear warning against the book was posted in a recent Amazon review:“This book was so obviously New Age syncretism with Christianity it is hard to know where to start. Are there vibrations in the supernatural that we need to tap into? No! Does God play games with people? No! does he hide himself in sound and light? No! Does God speak to people through “hints” of other things like sound? No! Does God speak through sound, light, energy, frequencies, vibrations, and quantum physics? No! Unfortunately this book espouses all of these ideas, and takes all of the scriptures out of context and applies meanings to them that the original scriptural authors did not intend. If you want a smorgasbord of New Apostolic Reformation teaching and leaders this is your book. The forward is by Kris Vallatton and chapters by the late Bob Jones (admitted sexual abuser), Bill Johnson Apostle and leader of Bethel church, Redding, CA, and Bill’s wife Beni.”” (https://churchwatchcentral.com/2019/08/06/physics-of-heaven-incorporating-new-age-mysticism-spirit-guides-auras-angels-revival-healing-energy/).

Most recently in mid-September there was an “Open Heavens” conference in Iowa hosted by Hank Kunneman’s ministry in which General Mike Flynn led those present in an unbiblical prayer. Thousands of Christians repeated the prayer after him. To begin with, anyone hearing or attempting to repeat the prayer ought to have wondered at its wording, especially when the word “legions” as well as the opening line that states that the one repeating the prayer is an instrument of the “seven fold rays and all of your archangels”. But no one seemed to flinch as the repeated prayer resounded loudly around the packed building. Here is the prayer in full:

“We are your instrument of those sevenfold rays and all your archangels, all of them. We will not retreat, we will not retreat. We will stand our ground. We will not fear to speak. We will be the instrument of your will, whatever it is. In your name and the name of your legions. We are freeborn, and we shall remain freeborn. And we shall not be enslaved by any foe within and without, so help me God.”

It was later found out that this was actually a prayer to Archangel Michael which was written and prayed by an Occult leader named Elizabeth Claire Prophet, Theosophist and I Am movement leader of the 1980s.

When Hank Kunneman was informed of this grave matter, he became offended and defensive of his ministry and Mike Flynn, thus affirming the prayer and the one who said it. (https://barthsnotes.com/2021/10/07/mike-flynn-gets-evangelical-crowd-to-recite-adapted-elizabeth-clare-prophet-prayer/; https://aminutetomidnite.com/2021/10/20/381-joanie-stahl-holly-m-general-flynns-new-age-prayer-the-dominionist-deception/).

And there are still so many more false prophets who could be listed here, most of whom are associated with the New Apostolic Reformation which has spread its bombastic and blasphemous tentacles far and wide, being led astray and leading other Christians astray, but this article is already too long.

Conclusion

The point is this, Jesus guaranteed that deception would be the pervading sign of the end of the age just before His coming and He warned His Church. He did not warn the world. He did not speak to unbelievers. He spoke to believers, admonishing them to not be deceived. This is serious business, and something that needs to be taken seriously by the Body of Christ.

Second Thessalonians 2 gives a strong warning when it says, “9The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, 10and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. 11For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, 12in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.”

Not every sign or wonder is from God. I want to repeat that. Not every sign or wonder, no matter who amazing or awesome, is from God. Just because there is a miracle, does not mean that God has performed it. Yes, miracles still happen. Yes, there are signs and wonders today. Yes, there is prophecy. Yes, there are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. But, Satan and the demonic world are brilliant counterfeiters who like to mimic God. Thus, it is imperative to be discerning and to be in God’s word regularly. As 1 John 4 states clearly and unequivocally, “1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.”

Importantly, Hebrews 5:12-14 says, “12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word.c You need milk, not solid food! 13For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.” This means that we must be in the Word in order to be able to discern good and evil. Without the Word, there is no discernment. And without the Spirit of God there is not understanding of Scripture, for even the Word is spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Be on your toes, Body of Christ! Satan is busy. Evil is more bold now than ever before. Deception is everywhere. This is not the time to get back to playing church.

Jesus is coming SOON. Let’s be ready!

Sources

The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, by Spiros Zodhiates

The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament, by Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter

Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/

“Presumptuous,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presumptuous#synonyms

“Presumptuous,” https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/presumptuous

“Do Modern Prophets Have to be 100% Accurate?” (February 2013), https://endtimeshofar.blogspot.com/2013/02/do-modern-day-prophets-have-to-be-100.html

“When a Prophet Speaks and his Words Do Not Come to Pass,” http://www.letusreason.org/latrain23.htm

“Bethel Church Believes a Different Gospel,” https://pastorgabehughes.blogspot.com/2017/10/bethel-church-believes-different-gospel.html?m=1

Quote: “Johnson teaches about a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible. He and many other word-of-faith charismatic preachers believe that when the Bible says Jesus left His throne in heaven and “emptied Himself” (Philippians 2:7), He actually gave up being divine. The incarnate Christ was fully man but not at all God. When Jesus lived a life of sinless perfection, it wasn’t as our substitute but as a model. Any one of us are capable of the same perfection. Jesus didn’t do miracles because He was God. He did miracles to show us that we can do them, too, if we just believe that we can.”

“Bill Johnson False Teacher,” 4 minute audio clip of Bill Johnson, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzAwFYKe3h0

Note: Bill Johnson in his own words teaches that Jesus had to be born again and was the first one to be born again.

“Calif Megachurch Accused of Practicing Occult in Use of ‘Destiny Cards,” https://www.christianpost.com/news/calif-megachurch-accused-of-practicing-occult-in-use-of-destiny-cards.html

“Hodge Connects Christalignment to Bethel; Bethel Retracts Statement,” https://churchwatchcentral.com/2017/12/15/hodge-connects-christalignment-to-bethel-bethel-retracts-statement/

“What is Christalignment and Destiny Cards?” https://carm.org/new-age-movement/what-is-christalignment-and-destiny-cards/

“When Heaven Invades Earth: An Invasion of Error,” https://bewatchful.org/2016/08/22/when-heaven-invades-earth-an-invasion-of-error/

Quote: “In Pastor Bob DeWaay’s analysis, you will discover that Bill Johnson first rejects the study of the Bible in order to then be able to teach his non-biblical theology. He believes in a great end-time awakening with over a billion of new converts. An elite consisting of Christians gifted with superior anointing will lead this movement.These Christians will perform greater things that Jesus, because Jesus, when he was on earth, was only a man who had a relationship with God (that is, he wasn’t both God and man); thus, Christians are on the same level as Jesus and can do the same things he did and more (erroneous interpretation of John 14:12).”

“New Age Influence,” https://bewatchful.org/new-age-influence/

“‘Physics of Heaven’ – Incorporating New Age Mysticism, Spirit Guides, Auras, Angels, Revival, and Healing Energy,” https://churchwatchcentral.com/2019/08/06/physics-of-heaven-incorporating-new-age-mysticism-spirit-guides-auras-angels-revival-healing-energy/

“Is Kim Clement A New Age Prophet?” Let Us Reason Ministries, http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac14.htm

Quote: “I do not believe that you must be born again to obtain salvation…….you cannot and will not make a disciple out of a sinner who has been introduced to Jesus Christ on the basis of their sinful inheritance only…Clement also said “When you’re born again the Bible doesn’t say that you are saved. The Bible says that when you are born again you see the kingdom it doesn’t say that you are saved even though salvation takes place and rebirth causes you to see the kingdom of God.” (The prophetic ministry of Kim Clement, Aug. 13, 2002 TBN)…

“False Prophesies of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR),” http://deceptioninthechurch.com/narfalseprophecies.html

Quote: “There is so much false prophecy in the NAR that it I could do an entire web site devoted to that issue alone.  If you want to see the daily parade of false prophecies emanating from the NAR, subscribe to the Elijah List.  It means nothing to these false apostles and false prophets to say things in the name of the Lord that not only do not come to pass, but would never come to pass because they are unbiblical and ridiculous. False prophesy can be judged either on the basis that it is a prediction made, claiming to be from the Lord, that does not come true, or that it is unbiblical to begin with, or both.  The Bible is clear that we must admonish heretics, those who lay error alongside truth and falsely prophesy, and if they are unrepentant we are to reject them (Titus 3:10). We must never forget that lies do not come from the Holy Spirit, but from the sinful minds of men, from the spirit of this age, the spirit of the air, the evil one.  Those who lie and say “Thus saith the Lord” are just as much false prophets today as their kind has been through history.  False prophecies are not mistakes, they are lies. Let’s look at some of these lies from the National School of the Prophets conference in 2002.”

“Strange Doctrines” of Rick Joyner by Holly Pivic, https://www.hollypivec.com/blog/2007/04/strange-doctrines/103?rq=the%20final%20quest

Quote: “Last-days Christians must submit to modern-day prophets to have victory in the final battle (pages 58-59). They should be dependent on the prophets like children are dependent on their parents, according to Joyner (page 60).Yet, the Bible doesn’t teach that Christians must submit to modern-day apostles and prophets. In fact, the apostle Paul warns the Galatian Christians about false teachers who want other Christians to seek after them (Galatians 4:17).”

“‘Apostle’ Joyner Meets Apostle Paul,” https://www.hollypivec.com/blog/2007/04/%E2%80%98apostle%E2%80%99-joyner-meets-apostle-paul/106?rq=the%20final%20quest

Quote: “The conversation should raise several red flags, which I will point out below.But, first, I need to point out that Christians should view conversations with dead people with suspicion since the Bible forbids “necromancy” (the practice of communicating with dead people). Deuteronomy 18:10-11 and Isaiah 8:19-20 So, the very premise of Joyner’s book — which records his conversations with several dead Christians — should raise a legitimate question of whether he is guilty of practicing necromancy or not.”

“Rick Joyner and His Heretical Church – INCREDIBLE,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T8W7rbzLAo